Defense Giants to Cooperate in Building Combat Vehicles

Defense Giants to Cooperate in Building Combat Vehicles

Boxer-8X8-Photo-from-Rheinmetall-Youtube

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A new military vehicle joint venture has been announced recently. Defense industries Rheinmetall and BAE Systems have launched a new, independent UK-based joint venture for military vehicle design, manufacture and support. The RBSL (Rheinmetall BAE Systems Land) venture intends to play a major role in manufacturing the Boxer 8×8 for the British Army’s Mechanised Infantry Vehicle (MIV) program and other strategic combat vehicle programs, while also providing support to the British Army’s in-service bridging and armored vehicle fleets. The vehicles from this model have also been purchased in the past by several other NATO countries, including Lithuania, Germany and the Netherlands.

The Boxer 8×8 is a multirole armored fighting vehicle designed to accomplish a number of operations through the use of installable mission modules. 

The 8×8 vehicle offers mobility on and off the road and is powered by a turbo-charged diesel engine, allowing it to reach speeds of more than 60 mph with a combat weight of 36.5 tons, as reported by international news agencies.

RBSL will draw on Rheinmetall’s broader military vehicle technologies combined with the additional capabilities and systems brought to the Joint Venture by BAE Systems’ Land UK business, such as Trojan, Terrier, Warrior, military bridging and the AS90 self-propelled artillery system, according to the announcement on Rheinmetall’s website.